Reader Inserts
by Mandarins
Summary: x Reader with your fav Volleyball players :) taking requests [Chp1: Oikawa was taking on the world, who were you to stop him? Chp2: Pro-bending (Atla AU)]
1. Old friends (Oikawa)

Oikawa was traveling the world in pursuit of his dream and you could not have been more proud of your boyfriend. It seemed only yesterday that he was silently crying over the losses from Shiratorizawa and Karasuno. And now here he is, a professional setter on the fast-track to earning a spot on the Japanese Olympic team.

You sat at the edge of the pool, reading the new headline featuring your boyfriend. And underneath it, a picture of him with his arm slung across another woman's.

Another win that he did not even bother to text you about.

You could not withhold the outward sigh. Since high school, that was your biggest peeve of Oikawa's – his flirtatiousness. It seemed as though a crowd of obsessed girls followed him to the ends of the earth and he willingly fed into their system. Never had you voiced your discomfort, since it never really mattered in high school. But now that the two of you were on different continents, the ache seemed to hammer itself into your heart every time.

He was in America for another tournament and here you were, in Tokyo. You tried your best in the relationship. Technically, the two of you went to the same university. From Aobajōsai you both progressed to Tokyo U in pursuit of your athletic dreams. To swim on the international stage was your dream that was slowly becoming reality. Three months ago, you were signed as the official alternate on the Olympic team.

You were winning your own battles, alone. Not too long ago, you would text Oikawa at every competition and he would do the same, relishing in each other's praises. That was gone now.

Each tournament at a time, no other woman could quite match your speed in the freestyle front-crawl. The 100 meter was your home and the only person you felt subpar to was your senpai, Haruka.

Who was currently snapping his fingers in front of you.

"What's the point of going to practice if you're not going to?" He questioned, eyes looking pointedly at your phone.

He was already drafted onto the Olympic swim team as a regular and taken you under as his unofficial protégé. His friend group was mainly comprised of other swimmers or former-swimmers from his hometown, all of whom were quite adorable. And in time, they became your close friends too. Iwaizumi went to a different college, in Tokyo, but was developing his own friend group. He was still close to Oikawa – maybe closer than you were to Oikawa – and it felt strange with only the two of you left.

"Sorry, Oikawa—"

"Is distracting you from swimming." Haru motioned his palm outward, "Give me that."

You could only frown before handing your phone over to him. He had a point.

It seemed as though your boyfriend was constantly in your mind. Is he okay? Did his old injury act up? Why didn't he call back? Who is that girl? But every text and call went without reply, so you stopped bothering at all.

He would travel for weeks without end and return back to classes like everything was normal. And then the cycle would continue. He would hold your hand and offer kisses in class, but would quick to run to the nearest airport at the beck-and-call of his coach. You couldn't help but wonder if any of this was real.

Does the relationship even matter to him?

That question in particular permanently etched itself into the back of your subconscious. He was so affectionate around you, offering love that made you forget all about his previous behavior. It seemed as though your relationship was only a wistful memory in high school, doomed to fail from this growing distance. After enduring it all for so long, it was now hard to ignore.

"You're totally off today, let's just go eat." Haruka stated, now sitting at the edge of the pool.

You agreed through your silent nod and headed towards the locker rooms, Oikawa still on your mind.

 **xXxXxXxX**

"Really?" Haruka asked, "I thought you broke up with him already." Makoto sheepishly held up his hands, ready to apologize on behalf of his [boy]friend. The three of you were currently sitting at a Ramen shack, digging into a nice dinner.

You smiled at Makoto's attempt to mollify the situation, but instead conceded to your senpai's words, "Maybe I should."

The two boys paused and looked at each other, Makoto breaking the silence first, "Why would you say that?"

"I mean," You started, "Are we even really a couple anymore? He doesn't call or text back, but he seems pretty comfortable with these beautiful girls on covers of magazines."

"_?" Haruka grabbed your attention, "Do you trust him?"

It was a simple question. One that you used to be able to answer very quickly, along with the question of: do you love him? But at this moment in time, it sent a sharp pang through your heart. This was a yes or no question. And if there was any doubt in your mind, any hesitation on your part, then the answer was clear.

"… No."

From that point forward, it was clear to you what had to be done. The strong relationship that the two of you built over two-years was obviously not present now. Your shared apartment – which was given to Oikawa by the university – spent several nights empty. You opted to staying in your own secluded dorm. Spending nights alone in his bed did not seem right, it felt like a strange environment.

Both Haruka and Makoto had strong points, but your mind was set by the end of the night. It was unfair, on Oikawa's part, to be receiving this news over the phone. But with the given circumstance, it was the only way for you to convey this to him.

In the safety of your quiet dorm, you picked up your phone and dialed his number. There was not a single doubt in your mind that he would not pick up. With his new win and the time difference, he was either partying or sleeping. Even if it was neither, he wouldn't pick up. He just wouldn't.

After two rings, he did.

"-chan?" His voice was distant, with loud noise in the background.

"Hey, Tōru." You started off slowly, "Can I talk to you about something?"

He asked several times just what you were saying before finally stating, "Let me move somewhere more secluded so I can hear you!" He was definitely at a party.

"Finally, somewhere peaceful." Oikawa indicated after a few minutes, "What's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks," You could almost feel his smile, but it was sadly cut short, "Is that all?" He was ready to end this conversation and return to whatever festivities were going on around him. That much was evident.

You took a deep breathe before starting. "I know you'll shine brighter than anyone could have expected you to. I want you to achieve your dreams, even if it doesn't include me."

"… What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry about this, I truly am. You deserve the whole world, Tōru. But I can't offer you that. Call me selfish, but I miss you. I miss having you by my side or even just listening to your voice."

"-"

"Please, just let me finish." You interrupted, "Tōru, you're on your way to achieving your dream. I love you so much. I love you more than I think I can ever love, and I, of all people, should not be one to hold you back. So I think it's best if we stop pretending that this relationship is happening and finally do the inevitable."

"Which is?" He asked, but both of you knew the answer to the question already.

"I'm breaking up with you." You stuttered out, unable to hide the sudden gasp. In an effort to save the last of your dignity, you quickly hung-up and cried in the silence of your dorm.

On the other-side of the world, Oikawa was yelling into his phone, unsure if you hung-up or he was unable to hear you over the commotion of the party. Finally lifting it, he saw that the call ended.

"Damnit." He punched the wall nearby, startling partygoers around him.

He would be lying if he said he did not miss you too. But there was no way he could face you, not yet anyway. He had a complete arsenal of trophies under his belt, with tons of magazine covers and a dedicated fanbase. But none of this mattered. Members of his volleyball team, like Bokuto and Kuroo, were getting contacted by the National Olympic Committee. And three months ago, so were you.

And five months ago, so was Kageyama.

He knew, from the very beginning, how competitive the athletic world would be. It seemed as though hardened experience and determination could only last so long against pure talent. Little by little his dream was slowly slipping. And now, so was his demeanor.

Oikawa felt cornered, this was high-school all over again. And how did he cope back then? Like how he was acting now: fake and running from an inevitable problem. The only difference was that now, his fears were coming true.

He was losing his prospective future.

He was losing the team.

But most importantly, he _lost_ you.

Immediately, Oikawa's mind flew to conclusions. And he was mentally berating himself for being such an _idiot._ He would ignore you for weeks, letting your calls and messages simply flash across his screen. Of course you could break-up with him, he only wondered what took you so long. He was giant pain and an even worse boyfriend. Maybe you found someone else? Someone how would comfort you or actually shower you with attention. Someone who shared more things in common, like swimming. Someone who you deserved.

Oikawa halted in his trek toward he knew his coach would be. Maybe it was best if he did not fight this, you deserved much more than he could offer.

 _No,_ Oikawaaffirmed in his mind, _she deserves the man she loves._ Even in your final words that lead to the break-up, you told him that you loved him. Who was he to deny your affection?

Just an idiot holding onto pride.

"Hey, I'm taking off early." Oikawa told his coach.

"Alright, have a good-night's sleep." He waved off.

"No, as in back to Tokyo." The coach looked at his player through narrowed-eyes, head slightly turning in question.

"Why?"

"My girlfriend broke up with me."

"Ah." He got up from his spot, sitting with the other advisors. He slapped a hand onto Oikawa's back, offering a grim smile, "Best of luck."

The plane-ride back seemed more claustrophobic and longer than the one of the way there. Oikawa could not help the impatient tap of his right foot, annoying the passenger next to him. Three meals and a total of nineteen-hours later, he was finally touched-down at Haneda Airport.

You were sitting in class, not listening to the lecture on American History. Usually, the Western World grabbed your attention and you would be hanging on the professor's every word. But today, your heart was shattered and the rest of your body follow suit. You were going through the motions, appearing at class but not actually _being_ there.

Rei, thankfully, was not one to pry into your business and simply offered to share his notes with you after class.

Unbeknownst to you, the object of your heartbreak was walking across the quad two weeks too early. And he was looking for you.

Makoto was quick to spot him, sitting with Haru outside on the quad and waving to the volleyball player. "Why are you here so early, Oikawa-san?"

"I have to find ."

"She's in class right now." Haruka stated.

"Do you know which one?" Oikawa questioned.

Both boys were updated on your decision from two days ago, offering whatever comfort they could give. Haruka cooked you a hearty meal – one that, for once, did not have mackerel. Makoto was obviously better with words and gave you an uncountable amount of hugs that you could not decline.

"I think it's best to leave her alone." Makoto replied.

Oikawa knew how close you were to the two swimmers, but just something about the olive-haired man made him a little jealous. He was the kind of 'picture perfect' boyfriend that everyone and their mothers wanted. His personality was sweet and chivalrous, but not too much like a push-over. His body, yes Oikawa has seen it once at a pool party, was chiseled in a way that even he envied. But most of all, Makoto was genuine.

He was the type of person you deserved.

"I need to talk to her." Oikawa pressed, "I made so many mistakes. It's time I finally confess before it's too late." Haruka frowned, but shared eye contact with his friend. The two held a silent conversation, one that Oikawa could not decipher.

Makoto sighed and finally stated, "She's in America studies in building A-3."

"Thank you so much!" Oikawa yelled over his shoulder, already bounding through the quad toward his aforementioned love.

"I feel like we made a mistake." Makoto confessed.

"No, it's for the best." Haru reasoned, "It wouldn't be fair of us to stop from hearing the truth."

You were inwardly wandering off at the moment, staring into the distance and watching the clock slowly tick away. That was until there was a loud commotion outside the double doors. The voice was immediately recognizable and you could not help but wonder why Oikawa was even here. You figured you had at least a few more days to clear your stuff out of his dorm, but it seemed your time was up. Maybe that was why he was here, to finally get rid of all remnants of you from his life.

He opened both doors with vigor, gaining the attention of the entire classroom. Thankfully, your class was comprised of less than twenty people and your embarrassment was limited to only this small group.

"Excuse me, young-man, but—"

Once Oikawa made eye-contact with you, he was gone. "I love you, _ !" He exclaimed.

"Oikawa, what the hell are you doing?!" He flinched at your use of his surname, seeing how you were already distancing yourself from him.

"I love you more than I think I can ever love, more than my family and maybe even more than volleyball. And I, of all people, should not be one to hold you back." He was throwing your words back at you, "You're an Olympic swimmer destined for so much more than me, a soon-to-be surpassed setter."

"Tōru, stop." Previous to this, whenever the word 'Olympic' was thrown into the conversation his eyes seemed to gloss over. Like there was something he was hiding. And it was finally explained now.

"No, let me finish." This conversation seemed too identical, "I love you. And you deserve someone who can be there for you. Not someone who needs his hand-held whenever something goes wrong." He sounded beyond heart-broken, more like someone who had nothing left. Your heart lurched for him, but this was not a private conversation. The ass was still interrupting your class!

"Tōru—"

"I love you." He drew out slowly, before closing the doors behind him. You did not hesitate to grab your stuff and chase after the auburn setter, fully intent on getting an explanation for his outburst. Running through the quad, both Makoto and Haruka were pointing in a direction and you quickly thanked them.

There he was, sitting on a park bench with his head faced toward the sky.

You did not hesitate to sit next to him. However, you did take a slight pause before placing a hand over his. His head instantly snapped towards you, his sad face morphing into one of surprise.

"?!"

"Don't I deserve the man I love?" Oikawa frown straightened, but he did not pull his hand away.

"You deserve better than an idiot whose pride stops him from talking to you."

"That's just something we have to work on." You were rubbing his hand between yours.

"You deserve someone who can stand proudly on the Olympic stage with you." There it is.

"Who says you won't?"

"Says the committee who chose Kageyama." You inwardly gasped. He was only a first-year in college and he was already noticed by the Olympic Committee? Even you could not stop the silent envy crawling in your stomach – you weren't even a regular!

And it was then that you realized Oikawa's internal struggle. It seemed as though he was achieving so much, tournament after tournament ended with victories. But even that did not seem like enough and his kōhai seemed to already be surpassing him.

"I don't know what the future holds, but I know that I'll be there for you." You stated slowly, choosing your words carefully. "That is, if you'll let me."

"You broke up with me." Oikawa was frowning, looking away with a blush evident on his cheeks.

"I would never break up with you over volleyball." You admitted, "It's just… Never mind."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters if you would break-up with me over this!" Oikawa seemed exasperated, holding both your hands in his own.

"I saw a picture of you with that model, looking a little too comfortable."

Oikawa narrowed his eyes in confusion, like he could not comprehend why you seemed to be jealous, "But I love you!"

"How was I supposed to know that? It's not like you call or text me." You stated in a low voice, but he was following your lips on every word.

"I will." He was quick to respond, "I can't lose you." He pulled your hands into a hug, putting you comfortably in the crook of his neck. "You should've told me how you felt, . None of those girls mean anything to me."

"Communication is two-way, I'm sorry." You conceded.

"How long have you felt this way?" Oikawa questioned after several moments of silence.

"For a long time," He looked entirely indignant, angry that you would withhold something from him for so long, "It never really bothered me in high-school since we spent so much time together. But recently, you go missing for extended periods of time. You've been distant with me lately but posing with all these girls, I can't help but think—!"

"I love _you_." He stated, pulling away slightly to make eye-contact. "You're the only one I've ever felt serious about. You're my endgame, no other girl. "

"I love you too."

He nudged your nose with his own, placing a light kiss on your forehead and slowly trailing down to your lips. "You're _mine."_

"No one arguing with you there." You replied back.

Oikawa smiled back, a genuine smile that you easily recognized, and tucked a lone hair behind your ear. His full attention was on you, for the first time in weeks, and you could not help the butterflies that were now raging wasps in your stomach. His piercing gaze was soft, eyeing you appreciatively with love obvious in those orbs of his.


	2. Pro-bending (ATLA AU)

Hello sweeties! You might have seen this on my deviantart already, or maybe not? So here it is :)

* * *

You were the manager of the Karasuno Crows' first-year pro-bending team. Shimizu was the previous general manager over all three teams for each year of high school, but the third-year team required more help since her impending graduation elicited more attention. She was always a smart woman and you had no doubt that she would be into a good college. After a semester, Yachi was willing to step-up to the plate of general manager.

Being a manager was not _that_ bad. But a big part of you secretly wanted to step-out onto the hexagonal court. You silently wondered how much patience Shimizu has to hold back for three straight-years. It was known fact that Shimizu was a water-bender and intelligent enough to achieve higher-levels of healing.

During practice, you were no sitting duck. Both you and Yamaguchi were fire-benders and it was usually you pressuring him into practicing. The poor freckled-boy was not naturally combat-ready and practice was typically comprised of you beating the boy until he finally fought back. Yamaguchi was not a fighter, but there was definite spark underneath his usually shy-disposition. He wanted to fight, you knew it, but he needed a _slight_ push.

Meanwhile, your fighting-style could be likened to the pugnacious attitude of the late Avatar Korra. Her legacy continued to live on through the spirit portal and the popularization of pro-bending. Primarily because of these two reasons, the century-old Avatar was a role model to you. The new avatar had yet to announced, but your generation was waiting anxiously.

Coach Ukai was standing in the far corner of the gym, watching with narrowed-eyes the combo-attacks of the third-years. For the interhigh tournament, each year of high school had their own four-man cell that would compete. There was an overall six-man squad representing the whole school, but Ukai was still considering who exactly would be embodying Karasuno in the hexagonal-court.

Kageyama and Hinata, who were both were amazing benders, could not control their tempers when outside of the court. Their combination attacks were quick and hard to counter. But literally as you were thinking this, the two idiots were competing to see who could run around the room faster. Tsukishima, who was also on the first-year team, was casually earth-bending the discs into the net. He looked completely _done_.

There were only matches left until the tournament and it was around this time that you would intensively train on your own. Back in middle-school, you were a regular on the team with nothing holding you back. Here, you were simply a manager.

 **XXXX**

The match was at Date Tech High and it was not your first time marveling at the school's superior height. Fukiage looked like the size of a third-year, how was he younger than Hinata?! Each high-school won a round each and it was down to this final point.

Date Tech was known for its superior defense and it was taking the combined efforts of Tsukishima and Kageyama to keep them alive. Tsuki was the only one in the front section and soon enough, he was successfully knocked back and Date Tech advanced. Hinata was corned all the back into the end-zone, mere meters away from taking the far plunge into the pool below. Fukiage was concentrating his fire strikes through Hinata's air-bending, effectively countering him.

Yamaguchi's stamina was about average and he could only channel so much energy against Date Tech's seemingly impenetrable defense. A disc, unbeknownst to Yamaguchi, flew between the rest of his team and knocked him square in the shoulder. The action was so strong it knocked the poor boy off the entire court and into the water.

With a very notable, "Tsk," Tsukishima gathered three discs of his own and knocked off the unaware opposing earth-bender. Both schools were now on equal ground, fighting a three versus three only for the time to run-out for the round. The coin was tossed and Karasuno was allowed to choose the element.

Kageyama always took the duels on behalf of Karasuno. However, Tsukishima held him back to take this one. Date Tech was unlike their other opponents. Kageyama was known to keep a level-head in situations with mounting pressure, a feat that was shared with only a handful of other benders. And yet something just was not _right_ , Tsukishima could feel it.

Both earth-benders stepped to the center of the court where a smaller circle lifted them up above the rest of the teams. Sakunami and Tsukishima were sizing up one another, earth-bender to earth-bender. Sakunami was smaller in both size and build compared to Tsukishima, but that rarely mattered. The two earth-benders appreciated the fighting-style of the legendary Toph and patiently waited for the other to strike. Everyone was able to glean from this duo that both boys were not the offensive-type. Rather, they would circle their opponent and wait to counter the attack.

And this went on… for a while. Both boys kept circling until Tsukishima lifted a disc from behind Sakunami, causing the onyx-haired boy to stumble forward and into Tsuki's grapple. Tsukishima's strength was always a forgotten feature and it was easy for the blonde to wrestle Date Tech's earth-bender out of the small circle.

"Woo!" You yelled in victory with Yachi, another match to add to Karasuno's triumphs. The first-year team was doing tremendously well despite their shaky start, you observed. The dug-out was filled with third-years waiting for their match later, their minds too in the zone to be paying attention to the current match. Coach Ukai had already taken away the second-year team, giving them his own observations and advice.

It was a short-lived victory as Yamaguchi was lifted out of pool by two healers. "Looks like you'll be missing a member for a few matches." One of the healers commented. The match had been so riveting that you had forgotten all about Yamaguchi's painful launch.

Kageyama and Hinata's were doing their usual victory swagger, but upon hearing this news their eyes darkened in horror. "Are you sure?" Kageyama asked.

"No, it doesn't feel that serious." Yamaguchi responded.

"For now, it doesn't." The same healer explained, "However, it's best to let all injuries heal naturally. We fixed what we can, but now that the match is over its best for you to take a breather for your body to do the rest."

"Looks like the first-year season is over." Yachi commented with a downcast expression.

"We have to find another fire-bender! It shouldn't be hard!" Hinata replied with obvious vigor in his eyes.

"I could always fill-in." You stated and yet it came out more as a question.

"There we go! We have (Name)!" Hinata was quick to take the offer, unlike his other teammates.

"Have you even trained as a pro-bender before?" Tsukishima asked, his reluctance showing.

Before you could answer with an equally snarky remark, Hinata brushed him off and continued, "Let's tell Coach Ukai now!" Hinata grabbed Yachi's hand, looking for their school's coach.

"Don't think I agree to this." Tsukishima commented as he walked away from you, heading to take off his gear.

You turned towards Kageyama, who was still rooted to his spot with an unexplained expression. "(Name), this will not be safe." He ambiguously stated.

Was this he way of worrying? You were inwardly chuckling, but reassured the socially-awkward boy, "I know." You retorted with a smile. He simply nodded before walking to where Tsukishima headed.

Now was your chance.

 **XXXX**

Coach Ukai had reluctantly agreed, but he requested for you to come to practice early to see your skill-level. The two of you were currently alone in the school's pro-bending gym, standing right in the center.

"I want you to fight me." He greeted.

"What?"

"No rules here." He ignored your question. "You have an hour to convince me."

"Right now?"

"Starting now." He replied lowly and not hesitating at all to heave an earth-disc at your head. Headshots were only allowed for water-benders in the ring! If he wanted to fight off-book, then you were not going to hold back either.

You jumped to the side and propelled yourself right at him. Most benders relied on their abilities and often lacked in close-quarter fighting. However, you were not like most. Your punches were fueled with fire and it was annoying you that Ukai was avoiding every single hit. That was until you took from Tsukishima's style last-night and went directly for the grapple.

You grabbed around his waist and went for the push, only for him to flip you up and over. Mid-air, you propelled back at the Coach and resorted to fire-bending his _stupid_ blond-hair.

He was excellent at evading hits and you were getting progressively angrier. But also, you were getting progressively more tired. Taking advantage of this, he fired off multiple earth-disks in your direction. You maneuvered in a way you never had to before and you could tell he was equally irritated. Neither person was getting a hit-in and you knew for a fact that he was holding back.

To catch you off-guard, Ukai lifted an earth-disc directly under your foot and flipped you over entirely.

 _He wanted to play like that, huh?_

Sure you wanted to bend the rules, but he was fighting like a street mongrel. If he wanted to purposefully do every single illegal move in the book, why not you too?

You grabbed a disc flying in your direction and threw it back with as much force back to the owner. This efficiently cornered him and you created large bars of fire from the ceiling to the floor, trapping him. Any movement would be caught by the fire and he should be burned. However, this was Coach Ukai and he did not give a flying _fuck._

He merely scoffed at the inconvenience before running through the bars. You were scared for him and lowered the intensity, but you were not fast enough. His upper-arms were burned and despite this injury he was still charging at you.

 _Is he going to kill me?_

"Stop holding back!" He yelled directly in your face, throwing punches here and there. How could you possibly hurt someone you respected?

He took an entire stack of discs and launched them directly at you. With nowhere to run, you simply covered your face with your crossed arms and allowed the discs to hurl you to the wall. Your ribs were surely bruised after that attack.

"This is definitely not convincing." Ukai commented, standing tall at the other end of the room with his arms crossed.

 _This_ humiliation was your limit.

Shouting, you fired two large fire-bolts to his left and right, forcing him to evade in the middle of it all. With all of your pent-up anger, you set the center of the room ablaze, where the Coach previously tried to dodge in. Your fire transformed from a bright red to a burning-blue, changing with your increasing anger. Ukai yelled back, either in fear or anger?, but you had no time to think about that since he launched himself up from the flames to right where you were standing. You had mere seconds to evade the attack, his earth-covered arm punched slamming down to where you were just poised.

The floor caved through and you were both in free-fall. You gathered your bearings and realized the battle-field was now in your favor as you levitated above the ruins, fire keeping you soaring above the ground. You could not see him, but there were multiple rocks heaved in your direction. Sensing a movement in the left-corner, you threw single bolt before he took off running.

You followed, throwing open the door only to see him already waiting there to deliver a rock-clad punch. Not ready to dodge, you took the earth-covered fist to the face, getting propelled back into the ruined room. Ukai took off running again and your patience was beyond gone.

He was at the far end of the straight hallway, almost out the door and you were sure if he did that you would not catch-up with him. Instead, you set all the walls of the hallway ablaze. His choice was to either grab the handle and burn his hand or fight you then and there.

"Fight me!"

"Fine." He replied, channeling the earth at his feet to slide right to you. You jumped back, his punch meeting air and countering his miss with a fire-kick directly to his stomach. He took the brunt of the hit, you're sure, but he flipped back and stood inches away from the fired-up wall.

Using your earlier tactic, you put Ukai into a fire-cage that he was surely unable to escape.

"Enough." He agitatedly commanded. With a slight flick of his head, the earth shot out and caged your entire left hand. Caught and with no way to counter a big attack, he launched a human-sized boulder at your prone body. You flipped up to where you could nimbly reach and narrowly missed his attack. Summoning back your passive strength, your blue-fire set you free and you launched it back at Ukai.

He barricaded himself underneath a fortress of rock, taking from the floor of the hallway and the ceiling above him. _Fuck the school apparently!_ You two were making a mess and at this point the fire-alarm was blaring, sprinklers going absolutely haywire.

The only way he could see you was through the vibrations in the earth, so you levitated back upwards and away from the earth-benders advanced form of vision. The top of his shelter was open and you spotted some of the water from the sprinklers filling the protective-housing. A small spark should be enough to scare him?

Taking a deep breath and folding your arms to your waist, you motioned your arms in a way similar to a water-bender before directing a minute spark of lightning into the water. The reaction was instant. The earth-shelter was brought down and Ukai's eyes were wider than you had ever seen them.

"Let's use our specializations then!" He shouted, motioning for the metal bars to suddenly takeoff in your direction. You flipped away and sent another spark of lightning, more power behind this one. No matter where Ukai ran, he was still standing in a growing puddle and he was bound to feel the shock.

He shouted in pain before launching himself at you. It was time to take his earlier strategy and you flew into the previous gym, the one designated for pro-bending. Sure, the room was in literal ruins now, with part of the floor missing, but this gave you a chance to sneak attack. You stood in the center, waiting for Ukai to pop-up. He would not win this one. You set the edges of the broken floor on fire, not allowing him to climb up. The lights at this point were shattered and it was only your blue-fire illuminating the strange sight.

You summoned lightning between both your hands, simply waiting for a target to point it at.

Ukai launched himself upward from the floor below ( _technically through the ceiling below, or the floor?)_ and had a metal chair aimed toward you. Thankfully, metal was a conductor and lightning would simply pass through before meeting its objective. Victory was right in front of you.

Right as you directed the lightning towards your crazed coach, a hand clamped over it and directed it instead out the window.

The owner of the hand then bent your arm behind your back and successfully subdued you. "What the fuck, (Name)?"

That was the all familiar voice of the captain and fire-bender of the third-year team, Daichi Sawamura. You looked over to the broken doorway and saw multiple faces of the Karasuno pro-bending team. A surprised Sugawara had a hand-out to his side, as if that would protect the scared Asahi. Nishinoya and Tanaka, you could tell, were excited to see you with such tremendous power. Hinata's orange-hair was poking through and you could feel the level of his interest. There were other various expressions, but there was one obvious underlying theme: _fear_.

You relaxed against Daichi, stopping the fire all at once and he loosened his hold. But it was still firm. "I will not ask again, what do you think you are doing?"

"She was fighting me. I threw the first punch." Ukai stated, dusting off the miniscule pieces of dust and ash from his bodice.

Daichi let go and turned back towards you, "(Name), you did this?"

"I technically did the floor, but everything else was her." Ukai replied for you.

"Wow." Ennoshita voiced, taking in the distant shadows of where lightning had previously been.

"Looks like we've found your fire-bender." Ukai noted before casually patching up the floor, as if you hadn't just been fighting for your life.

You were not used to this attention, _the entire Karasuno pro-bending team was staring_

"Well, get to practicing _._ " Ukai sneered to the team. This snapped Asahi and Ennoshita out of their previous trance, moving him to help his Coach repair the room.

You headed over to where the first-years usually practice, but they had yet to say anything that was not caustic or empty. Their attention was fully on you and you were unsure how to approach your _first day_ officially on the team.

Thankfully, it was Hinata who broke the silence. "Since when could you bend lightning?" He asked as he walked beside you.

"I was on the pro-bending team in middle school. I really wanted to learn how to, so I just practiced nonstop."

"And the blue fire?"

"It only happens when I get angry…" You replied.

"If only the _King_ was a fire-bender, he would have blue fire no doubt." Tsukishima commented to Kageyama's annoyance.

"That's strange." Kageyama noted once he calmed down, "The only person in history to have blue-fire was prodigal princess Azula. And that was since she had complete control over her cold-blooded fire."

"It's not something I can control exactly," You replied, "It kinda just happens." Kageyama nodded at your explanation before picking up one of the practice figures, Hinata going over to help him set-up.

You were about to grab another one, but a hand in the crook of your elbow stopped you. "You might be strong, but a temper won't help you in battle." Tsukishima stated, letting you go right after.

You'll show him.

 **XXXX**

"You want to what?" You were only a week into training with your new team and Tanaka had an odd request.

You were leaving your last class with Yachi, the two of you hoping to join Tsukishima and Yamaguchi for lunch, when you spotted the older fire-bender in the hallway. Both of you nodded at Tanaka when he suddenly bounded towards the both of you.

"I challenge you to an Agni Kai!" Tanaka yelled, causing Yachi to widen her eyes in freight.

"… nah." You waved him away with a small smile on your face.

"Why not?!" He followed the two of you down the hallway.

Seeing that he would not take the hint, you stopped in your tracks and flicked your head upwards, silently telling Yachi that she could walk ahead into the classroom without you. "Well for one, I like to use my lunch for actually eating lunch." You joked.

"Come on! Daichi has never wanted to fight me and suddenly I have a gorgeous sparring partner!"

"I'm sorry, but even your kind words won't sway me." You stated before turning around.

"Are you too chicken to fight me?"

"You can't rile me up either!" Tanaka was near growling in frustration and you were trying your hardest not to laugh at the scene in front of you. You were gathering the attention of other first-year students and that was the last thing you wanted. Various other teens from your class were walking by, surprised that you were not only a bender, but associated with the pro-bending team. You were a quiet one in the classroom, never speaking unless first spoken to.

"Not today, Tanaka-san." You addressed him seriously, "I'm really hungry and I'm not in the mood to fight right now."

"Not in the mood? You always have to be ready!" Tanaka joked and you shot him a cold-glance. He took the hint and continued, "How about tomorrow?"

"I think I'll be hungry tomorrow too." You cracked a smile at your lame excuse.

"Then how about before practice after school?" _He really wanted to fight you, huh._ You thought.

"I might be tired." You shrugged off his request with another excuse, "What? I like to take naps in my downtime." Tanaka rolled his eyes at your response and took one step forward, eliciting you to take one step back. You two repeated the action until your back hit the door to classroom 1-4.

"I will challenge you to an Agni Kai every day, (Name)! I won't quit until you give-in!"

Tsukishima slid the door open, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms. He had an eyebrow raised and that infuriating smirk on his face. "Maybe (Name) is not accepting since she knows she'll lose." That hit a nerve you were noticeably irritated.

"I won't give into your bullying either." You replied

"I'm just stating the truth." Ugh! Tsukishima knew how to hit your nerves and you had half the mind to challenge him to an Agni Kai, even though he was an earth-bender.

"Looks like (Name) really is worried!" Tanaka chimed in, hoping to pressure you into accepting his challenge.

"Is it even worth your time to fight a half-baked Karasuno crow, Tanaka-san?" Tsukishima asked.

"Yeah, maybe I'm just saving your time! Why bother to fight a weak fire-bender like me?" You bit out before walking away. You could hear Yamaguchi scolding his best friend and Yachi's sighs of distress. You could feel their eyes burning into your back, but you just continued walking.

The week of being on the team included a practice match with Johzenji High School. You felt that your contribution to the victory was enough to prove to them that you were a valuable player. But that was not the case at all. There was no room in the spotlight, Kageyama and Hinata were almost always the ones marveled at. You already knew that Kageyama lived and breathed pro-bending, but his advanced skills shadowed everyone else.

If anything, you could be described as safe. You evaded the other team's attacks and threw in some of your own. But your skill was not flashy and did not garner the same attention as your teammates. While your team won, it did not feel like a victory. It felt like you were settling. You were an interchangeable member, offering nothing special to the table.

It was not like you were not trying. You would practice during your free-time, skipping out on lunch with the other first-years. It was petty, but Tsukishima's words were slowly seeping into your heart and you started to question your own significance. Instead, you continually fortified your defense. Kageyama and Hinata were amazing at offensive plays, but the later was unfortunately amazing at receiving attacks head-on. It also helped that whenever you thought of Tsukishima, your fire would burn hotter and transform into its unusual blue.

You contributed to fights, but it never seemed enough.

And this continued for the next two matches. Ougiminami and Kakugawa were nothing special and it seemed you would never get to prove your worth. Yamaguchi was bound to get reinstated as a regular. It was an inevitable fear that you had slowly creeping up on you every day. Karasuno continued in it's path to victory and it seemed like you were more on the side-lines than actually in the hexagon.

That was until Coach Ukai called for an urgent meeting.

"Aoba Johsai has accepted our challenge for a practice match. This will be our first time against this powerhouse school, so we want to be fully prepared with our best teams." He stated, the whole team's attention on their coach. You could practically feel Tsukishima sneer, even though his expression hadn't changed. "We'll go over their individual teams, but we only have until the end of this week to be ready."

"Yamaguchi has been cleared to continue fighting, but I don't want to break any rhythm our first-year team has. Especially since we have such a small amount of time for this match." Ukai noted, "(Last name) will be the fire-bender. Depending on the individual outcomes, I'll decide who is on the all-star six-man squad."

The rest of the meeting went by ignored. This was your last chance. This was it, your _absolute last chance._


End file.
